American Soul

Originally posted by cesar_garza01:Sorry, but I go with Occam's razor here. If it looks like a duck, etc.
When Bono copies his own lyrics he's showing that they are throwaway lines, used for any occassion, like a tool.
Bono says he loves America, but he only loves to repeat his talking points about the idea he has about America. I can't believe the album was delayed so he can copy lyrics about an Irish teenager. He had 3 years to see what America has become: a resurgence of rascism, nativism, science deniers, spearheaded by Trump but certainly not the only one and he can only come up with " You are rock n roll"? are you kidding me? Bono, ask all the immigrants and minorities here to see if they are rocking now.

Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:[..]
Bingo.

[..]

Your Joshua Tree sounds a lot less nuanced and subtle than mine does. Not to mention it highlights what the band likes about America by pointing out its faults along with the more mythic side of its greatness through metaphors instead of simply stating "you are rock and roll".

I mean c'mon, man. No fucking way is this anywhere NEAR the Joshua Tree...is it about America? Yes. That's about as far as it goes.

Originally posted by u2_michaelc:i'm gonna be real simple here..........it's a song , if it makes you happy then great, if not, then oh well..

Originally posted by Bloodraven:[..]

Originally posted by u2_michaelc:i'm gonna be real simple here..........it's a song , if it makes you happy then great, if not, then oh well..

Originally posted by kris_smith87:[..]


No but it's exactly what we say that era was; what they say it was. "Looking for American soul"

"Came here looking for soul/I bought some style"...

Originally posted by Bloodraven:once upon a time I thought it was really lame to sing "baby baby baby light my way" and the rest of the lyrics of that song.

This song for me is the weakest of the 5 we've heard so far. Not disliking it, but just filler for me, so whatever (otoh, I totally love Volcano, so I'm still feeling out of place in this thread )

1. Little Things
2. GOOYOW
Best Thing
Blackout
5. American Soul

Originally posted by Bloodraven:once upon a time I thought it was really lame to sing "baby baby baby light my way" and the rest of the lyrics of that song.

This song for me is the weakest of the 5 we've heard so far. Not disliking it, but just filler for me, so whatever (otoh, I totally love Volcano, so I'm still feeling out of place in this thread )

1. Little Things
2. GOOYOW
Best Thing
Blackout
5. American Soul

Originally posted by Bloodraven:once upon a time I thought it was really lame to sing "baby baby baby light my way" and the rest of the lyrics of that song.

This song for me is the weakest of the 5 we've heard so far. Not disliking it, but just filler for me, so whatever (otoh, I totally love Volcano, so I'm still feeling out of place in this thread )

1. Little Things
2. GOOYOW
Best Thing
Blackout
5. American Soul

Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:[..]
Some of us hold music in a higher regard, and U2 to a higher standard than that, I'm afraid. The standard was set by them and continues to be when they discuss their music, that's why it's hard for me. It's hard for me to hear Bono say that they better have a great fucking album after showing everyone Joshua Tree again, and then...songs like this.

I'm playing Super Mario Odyssey because it makes me happy, but there are other video games that have a lot more meaning to them with a lot more to say than Super Mario. Do both have their place? Yes. But this is like one of those deeper games suddenly putting out a sequel that's a lot like Super Mario. I'm left thinking "yeah this might be fun, but where's all the greatness of the previous stuff?"

[..]


Maybe, but only to sum up that entire era with one simple catch-all phrase, not to use as a lyric. If "looking for American Soul" was a lyric on the Joshua Tree it'd be laughed at in comparison to the rest that are on it.

Now you're just quoting things out of context! Not to mention that, that particular phrase is a comment on how "looking for soul" was naive and and misplaced. It's a neat thing to bring that up in conjunction with these lyrics, but I don't know. I just can't get into it.